John Williams to Record The Force Awakens Score in LA
By Elaine Tveit
According to the official Star Wars website, John Williams is going to be recording the score for The Force Awakens in Los Angeles, California. He is currently composing the score, says Star Wars, and the results will be recorded over a period of several months “while working in tandem with the film’s editorial and special effects teams on the West Coast.”
The news may come as a surprise, considering that the scores of all six previous Star Wars films were recorded in London by The London Symphony Orchestra. In Los Angeles, the score will be performed by members of a freelance orchestra that Williams has worked with on past films.
A quote from Williams describes his pleasure in working with both the freelance orchestra and The London Symphony Orchestra:
"“I’ve had the privilege of working with the very best musicians in both the U.K. and the U.S. The London Symphony Orchestra has consistently performed with great artistry on all six of the prior films in the Star Wars saga, and I will be forever grateful for their commitment and dedication. Equally, it has been my honor to have worked with my brilliant colleagues in Los Angeles, and always appreciate the invaluable contribution they’ve made to my scores and to those of other composers.”"
There has been no reason given for Williams recording in LA instead of London, but a tweet from journalist Lizo Mzimba found by Star Wars Episode 7 News seems to indicate that Williams has been experiencing some health issues of late.
Minor John Williams health issue means Spielberg's Bridge of Spies won't be scored by him. First without him since '85's Color Purple.
— lizo mzimba (@lizo_mzimba) March 18, 2015
That tweet is dated from just a few days ago, and we’re just receiving the LA recording news today, so it’s possible that there’s a connection. However, Mzimba did say that the health issue was minor, so it could just be that William just wants to take it easy for the next few months.
Regardless of where the score for The Force Awakens is recorded, I’m just happy that Williams is ready and able to both compose the score and lead an orchestra in its performance. There’s no doubt in my mind that Williams is one of the musical geniuses of our time, and it’s wonderful to have him back and working on Star Wars.